Module 1 | Lesson 1 - Japanese Language : An Introduction

- This is my video of the Japanese Basic Phrases. I just used my virtual avatar for a cute
lecture video. The channel is for FLANG videos where I will be posting my compilation
videos for easy access.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Explain what Nihongo means,

2. Correctly use the suffixes introduced.

Core Content

NIHONGO, the foreign language you will learn this semester, is actually made
up of two parts. These are NIHON and GO.

NIHON is the Japanese for Japan while GO is a suffix added after the name of
a country to mean the “language of” that country. Thus, NIHONGO is “language of
Japan” or “Japanese Language”.

For Japanese language learners who are just at the beginning level, knowing
the right form of address is essential. I am referring to how one is supposed to
address or call the teacher and vice-versa.

Teachers of Japanese are usually called “SENSEI”. Sensei is a Japanese

word which translates in English to, you guess it right, teacher. And yes, that’s how I
would like to be called by my students.
 Now, what about you Nihongo students? How should I address you or how
should your classmates address you? Well, you have probably heard of ~KUN and
~CHAN, especially if you are an anime follower. ~KUN is used when calling a young
boy while ~CHAN is for addressing a young girl. But, because you are no longer kids,
that means it’s inappropriate to use either ~KUN or ~CHAN when calling one of you.
So, what do I/we use? It’s ~SAN. This is the preferred form of address in our case..
~SAN is a suffix that is equivalent in English to Mr. or Ms. Use or add ~SAN after
one’s surname.
Module 1 | Lesson 2 – Introducing Oneself in Japanese

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to

1. Translate lines introduced

2. Introduce yourself in Japanese using the lines explained.

Similar to how one introduces himself/herself in English or in Filipino, self-

introduction in Japanese may be simple if basic expressions and information are used

In our case, there are only four (4) basic lines which you need to understand
and be familiar with. These lines are :

(1) HAJIMEMASHITE,

(2) WATASHI WA ___ DESU.,

(3) WATASHI WA ___ KARA KIMASU, and

(4) DOUZO YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU.

Let's find out what each of these lines means.

HAJIMEMASHITE is used to begin the introduction. It roots from the verb,

HAJIMERU, which means "to begin". When one says HAJIMEMASHITE, it's as if
he/she is saying, "I am meeting you for the first time, nice to meet you". However,
some translate the greeting as "HOW DO YOU DO".

"WATASHI WA ___ DESU" is a sentence that will help you say what your
name is. WATASHI , which begins the sentence, is the Japanese for "I" while, DESU,
which ends the sentence, acts as the copula verb/ linking verb. DESU is equivalent to
the present tense form of the verb to be (am, is and are) and to the future tense form
(will be). The use of “DESU” makes the sentence complete and polite, hence,
formal. Sometimes, I use watakushi wa which is very formal.

’WA” is a particle; it does not have an English translation but it has a very
important use in sentence construction. Particularly, it is a subject marker particle.
„WA’ is always placed after the subject of the sentence.

Finally, as for the blank, that is where you say / write your name. In saying your
name, it is important to remember to always begin with your surname.

So, when I say (or write) “WATASHI WA BORLASA, ANGELIKA DESU", I

mean to say ,” I am Angelika Borlasa” in English.

"WATASHI WA ____ KARA KIMASU" is another sentence. You may use it to

say where you come from. Again, WATASHI is "I" and WA is the subject
marker particle. What about the two other words? KIMASU , just like DESU, is
also verb. It is equivalent in English to the verb "COME". KARA , just like WA,
is also a particle. But unlike WA, KARA has an English translation and it is the
preposition "FROM". Thus, "WATASHI WA TAAL KARA KIMASU" in English
is "I COME FROM TAAL".

Personally, I use FIRIPIN NO BATANGAS KARA MAIRIMASHITA or KARA

KIMASHITA instead of KARA KIMASU. Firipin = Philippine, No = particle to
connect words like Batangas to Firipin.

Finally, we end the introduction with "DOUZO YOROSHIKU

ONEGAISHIMASU". This line means "I am pleased to meet you". By the
way, please be reminded of the importance of observing Japanese culture.
Since you are learning Nihongo, you cannot not learn also about Japanese
culture since language is part of culture. And there are two distinct Japanese
cultures which I hope you will also observe. These are the BOWING (ojigi)
and the POINTING AT YOUR NOSE whenever you say "Watashi.
Module 1 | Lesson 3 – Useful Daily Expressions and Greetings

Greetings are also important to make first good impressions. According to

https://sikanti.com/2019/02/21/4-reasons-why-you-should-greet/ , Greeting is an act
of communication that we can use to deliberately make our presence known to one
another, perhaps to also show attention to or even suggest a cordial relationship
between individuals or groups of people. Greetings are sometimes used just to start
conversation or just to greet and pass.

In studying a foreign language, one of the first lessons is on greetings and useful
daily expressions.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to : translate simple greetings and
expressions from English to Japanese or vice-versa, and

use appropriate Japanese greetings/ expressions.

The following are just some of the useful daily expressions / greetings in
English and the Japanese translation for each.

Good Morning Ohayou Gozaimasu

* used from sunrise until about 10 in the morning

Good Afternoon Konnichiwa

* used from 10 in the morning until sundown ; also

means “hello”
Good evening. Konbanwa.
Good night Oyasumi Nasai.
Thank you very much Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu.
You are welcome. Dou itashimashite.
How are you? Ogenki desuka.
I’m fine. Genki desu.
Excuse me. Sumimasen.
Please wait for a while. Chotto matte kudasai.

Sorry, I am late. Osoku natte sumimasen.

Congratulations! Omedetou Gozaimasu.
Happy Birthday Otanjoubi Omedetou Gozaimasu.
Sayonara
Goodbye.
* used when you will not see the other person for quite
a while
See you again. Mata aimashou.
Take care. Ki wo tsukete.

What is your name? Onamae wa nan desuka.

How old are you? Nansai desuka.
What is it? Nan desuka.
Where is it ? Doko desuka.
Who is it? Dare desuka.
When is it ? Itsu desuka.
Why/Why is it? Doushite desuka.
How is it? Dou desuka.
How much is it? Ikura desuka.

Do you understand? Wakarimasu ka.

I don’t understand. Wakarimasen.
I am sorry. Gomen nasai.

A common expression among the Japanese is "sumimasen". In the previous page, you
learned that "sumimasen" basically means "Excuse me.". In some instances, however,
"sumimasen" may mean something else.. Find out other meanings of this expression in
the following article : SUMIMASEN
If you are familiar with Japanese drama, or Jdorama as it is usually called among the
fans, you will have encountered the word "sumimasen" countless times. This is a very
interesting word and it is something that is more deeply ingrained in Japanese culture,
for it can mean different things, depending on how it is used. It is one of the first words
learned by students of the Japanese language because it is taught early on, and is a
word that is commonly used in various situations. However, it is only when one is
already immersed in Japanese culture and tradition that the subtle meanings of
sumimasen in different contexts become clear.

Politeness and courtesy

For the Japanese, even the smallest of favors contribute to forming mutual
responsibilities and debts among the members of society. Public appearance and debt
are top priority for the Japanese, and they usually adopt a humble position. Their
interactions with other people put them in "debt" in various settings. This is clearly
linguistically reflected in this particular word: sumimasen. Saying sumimasen is a way of
acknowledging one's indebtedness to other people. It is said not because the Japanese
are always apologetic. For them, sumimasen is a more polite way of saying thank you,
as English speakers would normally utter.

Usage of sumimasen

Sumimasen is a formal and sincere way of apologizing. It can be used when offering an
apology to anyone, even to strangers. The Japanese use gomennasai, which also
means (I'm) sorry, when apologizing to someone they know personally, like family and
close friends.

Sumimasen can also be a thank you as well as an apology. Although difficult to fully
describe in English, the closest thing is a mixed feeling of thankfulness and regret. Let
us say that you are paying for something at a convenience store that costs 210 yen and
you gave the clerk 300 yen. The clerk asks you if you have 10 yen instead and you look
around your bag for the exact change. The clerk appreciates your effort to look for the
10 yen and pay the exact amount, so she says sumimasen. She is saying that rather
than arigatou, which means thank you, for her gratitude to you is deeper. The word can
be used in making a request. The closest equivalents in English for this would be "could
you please," "do you mind" or "excuse me."
One of the words which is common among Japanese when they want to attract
attention is to say, "Konnichiwa," or "Ano" but these words are usually used among
acquaintances. The Japanese will say sumimasen as a polite way to get the attention of
a stranger. It can also be used as a conversation closer, in a way that shows regret in
leaving the company of someone. Sumimasen can also mean okay or yes, when used
in a situation where someone who is quite busy takes the time to acknowledge that a
person is waiting to be served. Confusing as it is, sumimasen is one word that you
should include in your list of basic Japanese words to learn. Now that you have been
introduced to useful daily expressions/greetings and the Japanese translation for each,
it is time to learn how to pronounce each one. For the correct pronunciation, please
watch the video I prepared.

Four meanings of Sumimasen:

1. Excuse me
2. I'm sorry.
3. Thank you (sorry for the trouble)
4. Sorry? (Pardon?)
Module 2 | Lesson 1 – Numbers in Japanese

Numbers are very important in the study of the Japanese language.

They are used not only when you count but also when you tell the time and
the date as well as when you tell one’s age and a product’s price.

Learning Outcomes :

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to :

1. say/ count in Japanese the numbers 1 up to 99.

Core Content

To learn numbers in Japanese, one has to start by learning the

numbers one (1) to ten (10).

One ichi
Two Ni
Three San
Four Yong, yo, shi
Five Go
Six Roku
Seven Nana, shichi
Eight Hachi
Nine Kyuu, ku
Ten juu
 Yes, if you want to learn numbers in Japanese, the first thing you have
to do is to familiarize yourself with the numbers one ( 1 ) to ten ( 10 ). So
please do memorize them.

The numbers one (ichi) to ten (juu) are the same numbers you will
need to be able to say in Japanese numbers higher than 10. For this
lesson, though, we shall focus first on the two-digit numbers. That is, the
numbers eleven (11) up to ninety-nine (99). To do that, just follow / do the
following techniques :

The numbers 11 to 19 start with a 10 (JUU) and followed by the

number at the right. Hence, 11 is actually a 10 and a 1 (JUUICHI), 12 is a
10 and a 2 (JUUNI) so forth and so on.

To say in Japanese the numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90,
begin with the first number (that is, the number at the left. In the case of
20, it is 2 while in the case of 30, it is 3.) After this, add a 10 (JUU).
Hence, 20 is a 2 and 10 ( NIJUU ), 30 is a 3 and a 10 ( SANJUU ) etc.

Finally, for two-digit numbers such as 21 to 29, 31 to 39 etc., insert a

10 (JUU) between the numbers. Hence, 21 is a 2, a 10 and a 1
(NIJUUICHI), 24 is a 2, a 10 and a 4 (NIJUUYON ) etc.
Module 2 | Lesson 2 – Telling One’s Age, Nationality and Profession

Basic in the study of a foreign language is learning how one tells his / her age,
nationality, and profession.

These topics are the focus of this module.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to :

Translate vocabulary introduced in the module,

Use the correct particles in their sentences,

Construct sentences applying the basic sentence patterns

Core Content

One cannot write sentences in whatever language if he /she does not have enough words
to use.
Thus, in every Nihongo Grammar Lesson that requires learners to construct / write
sentences, a set of vocabulary shall be introduced. For this module, here is the list of Japanese
words you have to be familiar with.
I わたし WATASHI
We わたしたち WATASHITACHI
You あなた ANATA
He, She, That Person あのひと ANO HITO
Teacher せんせい SENSEI
Student がくせい GAKUSEI
Company Employee かいしゃいん KAISHAIN
Bank Employee ぎんこういん GINKOUIN
Medical Doctor いしゃ ISHA

Researcher けんきゅうしゃ KENKYUUSHA

 Engineer エンジ二ア ENJINIA
University だいがく DAIGAKU
Yes はい HAI
No いいえ IIE
USA アメリカ AMERIKA
UK イギリス IGIRISU
India インド INDO
Indonesia インドネシア INDONESHIA
South Korea かんこく KANKOKU
Thailand タイ TAI
China ちゅうごく CHUUGOKU
Germany ドイツ DOITSU
Japan にほん NIHON
France フランス FURANSU
Brazil ブラジル BURAJIRU

Philippines フィリピン Firipin

Learning Nihongo is made easy because of the patterns which you follow. These patterns are
supposed to guide you in order to correctly write your sentences in Japanese.

In this lesson, the following are the sentence patterns

1. Subject wa N desu

In this sentence pattern, the subject of the sentence is a person (noun or pronoun).

The subject is followed by the subject marker particle “wa”.

“Desu”, the copula, functions as the verb in the sentence and is equivalent to Am, IS or ARE,
depending on the subject of the sentence. The use of “desu” makes the sentence complete, hence,

N tells something about the subject. In this module, the N may be the subject’s name, age,
nationality or profession.

Watashi wa Geli desu. I am Geli.

Watashi - subject

Geli (N) - name of the subject

Satou-san wa kenkyuusha desu. Mr. Satou is a researcher.

Satou-san - subject

Kenkyuusha (N) - profession of the subject

Yamada-san wa Nihonjin desu. Ms. Yamada is Japanese.

Yamada-san - subject

Nihonjin (N) - nationality of the subject.

Again, SAN is equivalent to or Ms. It is added after a name of a person. Thus, Mr. Tanaka in
English is Tanakasan in Japanese.

However, different suffixes are added when addressing young boys and girls. These suffixes are
KUN for boys and CHAN for girls.

JIN is another suffix added after the name of a country to mean “national of”. Thus, American in
English is Amerikajin in

SAI, also a suffix, refers to age. It is added after the number that represents the age of a person.
Thus, if a person is 17 years old, say 17 in Japanese (as learned in the previous lesson,
Information #3) and add SAI. 17 years old is

If one’s age is 8 or ends in 8 (18 years, 28 years old etc), this is an exception. Instead of saying
HACHISAI, 8 years old is HASSAI, 28 years old is NIJUUHASSAI

To ask for one’s age, “NANSAI DESU KA.” is used.

Example : Anata wa nansai desu ka. (How old are you?)

Watashi wa juunanasai desu. (I am 17 years old.)

2. Subject wa N ja arimasen
JA ARIMASEN is the present/ future negative form of “desu”. Thus, it is equivalent to “am
not”, “is not”, “are not” and “will not be”.

JA ARIMASEN is the form used in daily It may be

DEWA ARIMASEN in formal speech or writing.

Example : Watashi wa isha ja arimasen. ( I am not a doctor.)

3. Subject wa N desu ka.

KA is a question marker. It is added at the end of a declarative sentence to form a question.

Thus, KA after Subject wa N desu forms an interrogative

Example :

Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.

( Ms. Yamada is Japanese.)

Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu ka.

( Is Ms. Yamada Japanese ? )

“Subject wa N desu ka” is answerable by either a YES (HAI) or a NO (IIE). Here are several
ways of constructing your answer.

Example :

Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu ka.

(Is Ms. Yamada Japanese?)

Answer : If YES, say ( write ) :

Hai, + Subject wa N desu.

(Hai, Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.)

Or Hai, + N desu.

(Hai, Nihonjin desu.)

IMPORTANT : Both answers mean “Yes, Ms. Yamada is Japanese

If your answer is NO, say (write) :

Iie, + Subject wa N ja arimasen.

(Iie, Yamadasan wa Nihonjin ja arimasen.) Or Iie, + N ja arimasen.

(Iie, Nihonjin ja arimasen.)

IMPORTANT : Both answers mean “No, Ms. Yamada is not Japanese.

4. The Particle MO (も )

The particle MO (も) is added after a topic / subject instead of (read as wa) when the
statement ( predicate) about the topic is the same as the predicate in the previous

The particle MO (も ) is equivalent to “too” or “also”.

Example :

Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.

( Ms. Yamada is Japanese.)

Satousan mo ( も) Nihonjin desu.

( Ms. Satou is also Japanese.)

If the particle MO (も ) is used to ask a question, the following answer patterns are observed :

Example :

Yamadasan wa Nihonjin desu.

Satousan mo Nihonjin desu ka.

(Ms. Yamada is Japanese. Is Ms. Satou Japanese too? )

If YES : Hai, Satousan mo Nihonjin desu.

If NO : Iie, Satousan wa Nihonjin ja arimasen.

5. N1 の (no) N2

NO (の) is a particle. It is used to connect two words to form the possessive.

Hence, if “Yamada san” is Mr. or Ms. Yamada, “Yamada san no “ is Mr./Ms. Yamada’s.

Example : IMC の shain ( employee of IMC or IMC’s employee)

Batangasu Daigaku の gakusei ( student of UB or UB’s student)

Module 3 | Lesson 1 Demonstrative Words in the Japanese Language

Demonstrative words are words used to point at or refer to persons, places or things/
objects. When used as the subject of the sentence, the demonstrative is a noun. But when it
accompanies a noun, it functions as an adjective.
In this lesson, Japanese language learners are introduced to demonstrative pronouns
and adjectives used specifically for referring to things or objects. The demonstrative pronouns
are KORE, SORE, and ARE while the demonstrative adjectives are KONO, SONO, and
ANO.

Learning Outcomes :

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to :

1.Translate vocabulary introduced in the module, and

2. Construct sentences that apply the patterns introduced/discussed .

This (thing here) これ kore

That (thing near you) それ
sore
That (thing over there) あれ are
Book ほん hon
Dictionary じしょ jisho
Magazine ざっし zasshi
Newspaper しんぶん shinbun
Notebook ノート no-to
Pocket Notebook てちょう techou
Business Card めいし meishi
Card カード ka-do
Telephone Card テレホンカード terehon ka-do
Pencil えんぴつ empitsu
Ballpen ボールペン bo-rupen
シャープペンシ
Mechanical Pencil sha-pu penshiru
ル
Key かぎ
kagi
Watch, clock とけい tokei
Umbrella かさ
kasa
Bag かばん kaban
Cassette tape カセットテープ kasetto te-pu
テープレコー
Tape recorder te-pu reko-da-
ダー
 Television テレビ terebi
Radio ラジオ rajio
Camera カメラ kamera
Computer コンピューター kompyu-ta-
Car じどうしゃ jidousha
Desk つくえ tsukue
Chair うす isu
Chocolate チョコレート chokore-to
Coffee コーヒー ko-hi-
Wallet さいふ saifu
What なん nan

1. Use of KORE, SORE , ARE

Kore , Sore, and Are are demonstrative pronouns. They are used to point at things.
Specifically, KORE is used to refer to a thing near the speaker, SORE to a thing near the
listener and ARE to a thing far from both the speaker and listener.
Kore, Sore and Are may be used as subjects of sentences.
Thus, in the pattern “Subject wa N desu”, Subject is Kore, Sore or Are while N is the
object referred to.
Example:

Kore wa hon desu. ( This is a book.)

Sore wa hon desu. (That is a book.)

Are wa hon desu. (That over there is a book.)

2. Use of KONO, SONO, ANO

Kono, Sono and Ano are also demonstratives ; specifically, they are demonstrative
adjectives.
 Unlike Kore, Sore and Are, Kono, Sono and Ano cannot be used alone as subjects of
sentences. When Kono, Sono or Ano is used in the sentence, it has to be immediately followed
by a noun, i.e. the name of the thing or object referred to.
Example:

Kono hon wa watashi no desu. ( This book is mine.)

3. Sou desu / Sou ja arimasen

The word "SOU" may be used to answer a question requiring an affirmative or negative
answer. Thus, "HAI, SOU DESU” is the affirmative response while "IIE, SOU JA ARIMASEN"
is the negative answer.
Example : Kore wa kagi desu ka. (Is this a key?)

…Hai, kagi desu. Yes, that is a key.

Or …Hai, sou desu. Yes, it is so.

Kore wa bo-rupen desu ka. (Is this a ball pen?)

… Iie, bo-rupen ja arimasen. (No, that is not a ball pen.)

Or... Iie, sou ja arimasen. (No, It is not so.)